rothermel



' C. -J. ROTHERMEL.

SEAL. APPLICATION FILED JAILfi. 1917.

3263919 Patented Dec.-30, 1919.

ATTQRNENF? CURTIS J. ROTHEBMIEL, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

SEAL.

To allwhom it may concern.-

Be it known that CURTIS J. ROTHERMEL, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Seal, of which the following is a specification. A "K n invention relates to a novel construction of a seal or device for sealing railway is desirable to seal the car doors to prevent cars, rooms, baggage, packages, and receptacles of any character, it being especially designed for use upon freight cars, where it any removal or. tampering of the goods con.- tained therein, provision being madefor enabling the shackle and head constituting my novel device to be readily assembled without 7 the employment of tools, so that rupture or breaking of the seal is requisite for the car door, baggage, room, package or other receptacle tobe opened, whereby anymterference with the seal may-be readily discerned upon inspection thereof. A

To the above ends, my invention consists of a flexible metal strap or shackle having a novel configuration at the ends thereof,

which latter are adapted to interlock or coaot with a, novel construction of head, so that-a simple and novel seal is produced which may be locked without the use of tools or'eXtraneous devices, and which cannot be unlocked without being destroyed. V F or the ,purpose of illustrating my invention, I have shown in the accompanying drawing one, form thereof which is at present preferred by me, since the same will give in practice satisfactory and reliable results,- although it is to be understood that the various instrumentalities of: which my invention 40 consists-can be variously arranged. and or- I ganized and that my invention is not limited to the precise arrangement and organization of these instrumentalities as herein shown and described.

Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a seal for car or other doors, baggage, packages," receptacles or the like, embodying my invention, the parts being shown in detached position.

2 represents a sectional view showing the initial step employed in assembling the 1 shackle and head.

Fig. 3 representsa longitudinal, sectional view showing the shackle and head inassembled-position.

Specification of Letters Patent.

- Application filed January 6,

'Patented Dec. so, rare. 1917; Serial No. 140,922.

Fig. 4 represents another view of the parts seen in Fig. 3 in slightly differentposition.

yiSimilar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in thefigures.

Referring to the drawings I 1 designates my novel construction of seal, the same eomprising'the head member 2 and the shackle member 3.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention, the head 2 is composed of a body portion preferably formed in one piece and havmg the top wall or member 4:, the bottom wall or member 5, and the con-verging sidewalls 6, said side wallsterminating in the inwardly turned lips 7, between which a space is left for the insertion of the locking terminals or ends of the shackle member 3.

The shackle 3, as will be understood from theright-hand portion of Fig.1, comprises a strip of thin sheet metal bent to form the resilient members 8, each of which is provided with the outwardly extending flange 9,

which is doubled upon itself, as indicated at 10, thereby forming an abutment and then continued as indicated at 11, the terminals.

The other terminal 12 is next inserted in' position, as will be understood from Figs.

e head 2- 2- and 3, and when said terminals 12 are in the position indicated in said Fig. 3, it will be apparent that by reason of the resiliency-of the thin metal strips employed both of said'terminals 12 will spring slightly outwardly and so be prevented from withdrawal or dislodgment'by reason of their interlockin wardly de ected lips or flanges 7, as willbe" understood from Fig. 3, there being a slight play permitted for the-terminals 12 in respect of the flanges 7 as will be unor abutments, limiting the-inward movement of the shackle 3 with respect to the head 2, while theengagement of the ter- 10@ or engagement with the in- ,derstood from Fig. 4, wherein it will be seen that the members 10 act as shoulders son of my novel construction,

- manufactured ter will contact atall times with the inner surface of said side walls and thus engage the lips 7, if any pull is exerted on the shackle 3. v

I am aware that it has heretofore been proposed to form' tongues near the end of a shackle, but such tongues present a limited area of locking surface and are not so efficient in performing their locking functions as are my deflected terminals 12.

It will be further apparent that by reaafter the parts are assembled as seen in Figs. 3 and 4, the lock formed thereby cannot be readily picked or tampered with.

The ead 2, as well as the shackle 3, can be readily struck up, pressed or stamped from thin sheet metal by means of suitable dies or other implements, and can be cheaply in large quantities,-'and the head and shackle can be readily assembled manually without the use of tools or other extraneous devices, as will be apparent to those-skilled in the art.

It will be apparent that in case anyone attempts to pick the lock and to move the strip 8. rearwardly from the position seen in Fig. 4, the locking tongues 12 will engage the inwardly turned lip 7 so that it will be impossible to pry down one of the locking tongues 12 and remove it from the head 2, so that the abutment is in such position with respect to the head that when sol will be absolutely necessary to break and destroy it.

. It will now be apparent that I- have devised a novel and useful seal, which embodies the features of advantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of the invention and the above description, and while I have, in the present instance, shown and described a preferred embodiment thereof which will give in practice satisfactory and reliable results, it is tovb e understood-that the same is susceptible of modification in various particulars without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is In a seal, the combination with a head composed of top, bottom, and converging side walls and inwardly turned lips,,of a

having each of shackle comprising a strip its free ends rearwardly deflected and diverging to form spring tongues to interlock with said lips upon the inserting of said tongues into said head, said strip in proximity to said tongues having abutments 'formed by doubling the strip upon itself,

said abutments being adapted to contact with said head when the tongues are movedthereinto suflicient to clear said lips, and prevent the insertion of a tool into said casing to press the free end of a tongue toward its strip to permit it to pass by the lip with which it interlocks.

CURTIS J. ROTHERMEL. Witnesses H. SqFAmBA'NKs,

C. D. MoVAY. 

